Code Geass: Blind Justice
by NinthFeather
Summary: AU. After the attack that killed his mother leaves him blind and wheelchair-bound, Lelouch is determined to get revenge on the Empire that betrayed them. When he gains a mysterious power called Geass, he realizes that his goal might be within reach.
1. Chapter 1: Lelouch's Circumstances

_A/N: Okay, in case you didn't read the summary, this is a Code Geass AU fic in which Lelouch, rather than Nunnally, was blind and in a wheelchair. Instead of then making Nunnally the main character, however, I plan to have Lelouch receive Geass and become Zero anyway. I think it's an interesting premise. Hopefully, you'll like it too._

**Code Geass: Blind Justice**

Stage 1: Lelouch's Circumstances

_I was nine at the time. I remember tugging on my mother's sleeve, urging her to go faster. Nunnally and I had finished the paintings our tutor had assigned to us, and I wanted her to see mine._

_Then, suddenly, there was a noise like thunder, and the stained-glass windows around us exploded inward. _

_I remember Mother scooping me up and beginning to run. I buried my face in her hair. It smelled like flowers. _

_Then, she fell, with me still in her arms. I remember feeling wet, and wondering if someone had poured water on us, somehow. _

_Then I saw the red. It was all around us, trickling down the stairs. It was soaked into Mother's clothes, as well. There were holes in her, too, like the ones in the soldiers in the paintings of battles that hung around the palace._

_I was beginning to panic. Mother wasn't moving, and I couldn't feel my legs. I looked up into her eyes, to see if I could get some reassurance from her._

_They were still wide open, but there was no life left in them._

_I think it was at that point that I began screaming._

_The next thing I remember is lying in a hospital bed. Everything around me was dark, but I could feel the sheets against my skin, and hear the beeping of equipment._

_I felt the touch of someone's hand. It was Nunnally._

_I breathed a sigh of relief. I had been worried that perhaps she had been hurt in the thunder, like Mother._

_She clutched my hand as if it was the only thing keeping her from drowning._

"_What's wrong?" I asked._

_I heard her sniffle softly, and turned my head toward the noise. Then, the inward rush of a deep breath._

"_Lelouch, Mother is…" she began softly._

"_I know," I said. _

"_Can you…can you feel your legs at all?" Nunnally asked slowly._

_I couldn't. "No," I said._

"_Lelouch, when Mother was killed, you were hurt as well," Nunnally said. "The doctors say you won't be able to use your legs anymore."_

_I didn't want to upset Nunnally, but I couldn't help gasping. I heard a soft sobbing sound._

"_Nunnally, are you crying?" I asked._

"_Of course I am, can't you see me?" Nunnally asked, emotion clogging her voice._

"_No," I said. "Everything's dark. I should probably open my eyes."_

_Nunnally started crying again. "Lelouch," she said, "your eyes _are_ open."_

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

**Area 11, Eight Years Later**

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Rivalz Cardemonde asked me. "Nunnally's not going to be happy."

I laughed. "Nunnally doesn't like it when I gamble, but she appreciates the extra money. I'll tell her you tried to talk me out of it if she finds out."

"Thanks," Rivalz said. "No offense, but your little sister is scary when she's angry."

"You have no idea," I said with a laugh, remembering some of the lectures she'd given me in the past.

Even without being able to see, I knew where we were- speeding through downtown Tokyo in Rivalz's motorbike, with my wheelchair attached to the back with bungee cords. We must have been quite a sight.

Honestly, I don't think Rivalz realized how grateful I was for these outings. Beating nobles at chess wasn't crushing Britannia, but it was all I had, for now.

We pulled up to the location. Rivalz unloaded my wheelchair and helped me into it, then wheeled me into the room.

I couldn't see my opponent's expression of surprise, but I could imagine it.

"A student?" he asked. "In a wheelchair? Is this a joke?" I wanted to knock the pompous tone out of his voice, but I knew that wouldn't really change a thing.

I ignored him. "Rivalz, will you tell me the locations of the pieces?"

Rivalz said the locations aloud. Mentally, I visualized a chessboard, placing the pieces in the locations he gave me.

"You're blind, too?" he laughed. "This is too easy."

"Rivalz, how soon do we need to leave here in order to make our next class?" I asked.

"In a half an hour, if we break some speed limits," Rivalz told me.

"Well, then, drive carefully, Rivalz," I said. "We'll be out of here in a few minutes."

I was true to my word. Minutes later, Rivalz was pushing me out the door.

"That was amazing!" he exclaimed. "I think you set a new record! I wish you could have seen the look on his face."

I smiled at him. "Thanks," I said. "But nobles are tepid opponents, at best. Winning against them is no great triumph."

As Rivalz lifted me back into the sidecar, I heard a familiar voice. It was Clovis, making another one of his speeches. Another terrorist attack had occurred, and, of course, he was attempting to make it into propaganda. He requested a moment of silence, but Rivalz kept moving.

"You aren't observing the moment of silence?" I asked.

"Why bother?" Rivalz answered.

"Why indeed?" I echoed. "After all, no matter what anyone does, the world won't change, anyway."

Rivalz gave me a sideways look, then gunned the motor of his bike, and we sped off.

Suddenly, I felt the bike swerve. "Rivalz!" I exclaimed. "What's happening?"

"There's a truck behind us, and they're driving like mani-" Rivalz broke off, as I felt a sudden impact.

I wasn't in my seat anymore, that much was certain. Wind was rushing past me, faster than it had been when I was in the sidecar.

**You've come. My… **I heard someone say. It echoed strangely in my mind, and I wondered if I was having some sort of auditory hallucination.

I felt myself smack into something, and then fall, at least a six foot drop. It was times like these where I was almost grateful for the fact that I couldn't feel my legs.

I could hear the sound of a motor, and the floor below me felt like metal. There was something behind me, as well. It felt round.

Suddenly, I heard voices.

"Can't we just use that?" one of them asked, a male voice I'd never heard before.

"If we use it here, it'll be a massacre," a female voice responded. She sounded vaguely familiar, but I wasn't sure why. I heard the rustling of fabric, a small thud, and then the sound of a door slamming.

I felt around on the ground and finally grasped what the female had dropped. It was a walkie-talkie. No one used those anymore. Who were these people?

I got my answer when I heard mechanical clanking and then a high-pitched whirring sound. No one who survived the war could ever fail to recognize those sounds. It was a Knightmare, probably a Glasgow. The army didn't use those anymore. Which mean that whatever sort of vehicle I was in, it belonged to…

"Terrorists," I whispered, clutching the walkie-talkie. Maybe I could use it to bargain with the military. Then again, the military's feelings about the disabled were-unkind, at best. And if I were recognized, it would be a disaster.

The vehicle swerved, slamming me into the round object. I couldn't help but wonder what it was. The terrorists had referred to an "it", calling it capable of causing a massacre. Was that what the round object was?

My contemplation was interrupted by a loud crashing sound. I felt like I was falling, and the force of whatever had happened slammed me into multiple walls. At least now I knew how large the vehicle was, although there had to be more comfortable ways to find out.

When the motion finally stopped, I began feeling around for a way to escape. I felt a rush of cold air from above me. Perhaps there was an opening. I felt around me, and found the round object. Feeling higher, I discovered a ridge that I could use to pull myself up.

Just then, I heard the sound of a door opening. I felt cold air on my back, and heard footsteps. By the sound, I had to guess those were military-issue boots, so it was probably a soldier. I was sure I didn't know any soldiers, but the rhythm of the footsteps sounded familiar, somehow.

"Stop!" the soldier shouted. "If you open that here, people will die! Is that your idea of justice, terrorist?"

Terrorist? And what exactly was I opening? I was just trying to get out of this nightmare.

Then, I felt a foot slam into my chest. I let out an involuntary gasp. The stupid, self-righteous gall of this soldier! Who did he think he was?

"If you want justice, then why not crush Britannia?" I yelled back.

I heard the soldier step back. "Lelouch?" he gasped.

I couldn't help gasping. I hadn't heard that voice say my name for seven years. I could not be mistaken as to its owner. Suzaku Kururugi. My childhood friend-if you could give the name "childhood" to that time seven years ago.

I found my voice. "Suzaku! Why are you a Britannian soldier?"

"Well, why are you trying to open a canister of poison gas in Shinjuku ghetto?" Suzaku asked.

"Shinjuku?" I asked. "Is that where we are? And this is…poison gas?"

That was when I heard a hissing sound.

:::::::::::::::::::

_A/N: That concludes the first chapter. _

_Just to clear things up, I am going on the assumption that Nunnally was in the wheelchair because her lower body was paralyzed, rather than because of extensive tissue damage during the attack. It was never really clarified in the series, at least not in any of the episodes I've seen. Also, as far as Lelouch's blindness goes, it's psychosomatic, just like Nunnally's. That is, she was so traumatized by the attack that her mind refused to allow her eyes to open. In Lelouch's case, his mind simply won't accept information from his visual cortex, even though his eyes work perfectly. It's basically the same principle. _

_Also, about the mentions of Nunnally giving people lectures, she is going to be fairly OOC in this fic, because I imagine being responsible for her older brother would change her considerably. Lelouch's personality will be a little different, too. I normally have character interactions at the end of chapters, but since I've only introduced three of them, that's not going to happen this time. Please leave a review and tell me what you think of this fic. I would like to hear from you!_


	2. Chapter 2: Strange Girl

_A/N: All right, here's the second chapter! The chapter title is borrowed from the title of one of the tracks on the first Code Geass O.S.T., to give credit where it's due. Speaking of that, Code Geass is not mine. It belongs to Sunrise. Anyone with ideas on how to change that should let me know…Enjoy the new chapter!_

Chapter 2: Strange Girl

"The canister!" Suzaku exclaimed.

He pulled me backwards and jammed what had to be some sort of breathing device over my mouth.

I heard Suzaku gasp. "…a girl…with green hair…that wasn't what we were told…." he said.

"So Britannia's told another lie," I said. "Can you truly say that you're surprised?"

Suzaku ignored my sarcasm. I heard him get up and head toward the canister. By the rustling sound, I guessed that he had picked up the girl. He carried her out, then came back for me.

Once we were outside, I heard the sound of something being unzipped.

"Suzaku, what's going on?" I asked.

"The girl's unconcious, and in some sort of straightjacket," Suzaku explained. "Her feet are zipped inside of it." He took hold of my hand and guided it to the toggle of a zipper. "Help me get her out."

I nodded and began to undo the zipper, but then I heard the sound of footsteps, lots of them. All wearing army-issued boots. I had the sudden urge to curse, but I didn't want to attract attention to myself.

"Kururugi!" A man's voice snapped. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You lied about what was in the canister!" Suzaku exclaimed. "This girl isn't poison gas!"

"You shouldn't question your superiors," the man, obviously Suzaku's commanding officer, said. "But I'll forgive you this time. Just shoot the terrorist, and we'll be on our way."

I heard him pull out the gun, and release the safety with a harsh click.

"He's not a terrorist!" Suzaku protested. "He's just a student who got caught up in all of this!"

"Are you questioning me again?" the officer asked, a dangerous note entering his voice.

I took a deep breath and braced myself.

"I'm sorry," Suzaku said, "but I can't shoot an innocent civilian."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then die," the officer said. I heard a gunshot.

"Suzaku!" I shouted. I felt my breath coming in short, rapid bursts. This couldn't be happening. There was no way….

Suzaku didn't answer. Britannia had killed him. The same way it had killed Mother. The same way it had tried to kill me.

It was about then that the vehicle behind us exploded. I heard the explosion, and felt the wave of heat from the flames. If I had been able to run, I would have used the explosion as a diversion. But I couldn't even move without help. I felt truly pathetic at that moment.

I heard two sets of footsteps approaching, and a rustling of fabric. It sounded as though they were taking the green-haired girl.

"I'm sorry to have to kill a fellow Britannian, but you've seen too much," the officer said.

I laughed inwardly at the bitter irony of his words, but understood his meaning. Obviously, the green-haired girl was some sort of government secret. Still, I could hardly believe that after everything I'd survived, and all the hiding I'd had to do, my life was going to end because I ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I heard the gunshot, and then, someone yelled, "He must not die!"

It was the same voice I'd heard before I'd fallen into the terrorist's vehicle. Was that the voice of the green-haired girl?

I heard a soft thud. Reaching out, I felt a strand of long hair. It had to belong to her. Then…they had shot her? No…she'd gotten in the way of the bullet meant for me.

That made two people who had died protecting me in the space of a few minutes. I couldn't help but wonder why. What was so special about a person like me, who couldn't do a thing on his own? I was too weak to take revenge on those who had wronged me, so instead I submitted to them, like a frightened animal. It was a pathetic life. No, not even a life. A pathetic existence. What had made it so worth protecting to those two?

I heard voices. They sounded far away. Probably Shinjuku residents who'd heard the gunfire and come to investigate.

"He just shot her!" one exclaimed.

"She's dead!" another shouted.

"There's another body, too!" another cried. "I think I've seen him before…he was the old prime minister's son!"

"Shoot them," the officer said dispassionately.

The thunder of gunfire and the screaming dredged up my own past. Once again, I saw the windows exploding…and my mother's empty eyes. Seven years ago, I had promised myself that I would crush Britannia for what they'd done. Now I was about to die, without even coming close to achieving that goal.

The gunfire fell silent.

"Now, it's your turn," the Britannian commander said.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on mine. The green-haired girl's? Suddenly, her voice filled my mind.

**It seems you have a reason to live**, she said. **If I gave you power, could you go on living?**

Images flashed through my mind, of the sky, of myself, of what had to be the green-haired girl. She was surprisingly pretty.

**This is a contract**, she continued.** I will give you power if you grant a wish of mine. **

_What wish?_ Lelouch couldn't help wondering.

**If you accept this contract, you will live among humans, not following the reasons they follow**, she said. **A different providence. A different time. A different life. **

More images flashed past. Planets, girls with bird-shaped marks on their heads. Even my father, saying something about a "Ragnarok Connection."

**The power of the king, of Geass, will condemn you to solitude**, she told him.** Even knowing all of this, will you accept my contract?**

I thought of Suzaku, killed for trying to do the right thing, by the soldiers of the same country who had taken away everything away from his homeland. Of my mother, killed for being a commoner in a world of nobles. Of Nunnally, who was left to take care of me, who had barely had a chance to be a child before our world had been torn apart. Of what I, myself had lost, and my promise seven years ago.

_I accept the contract! _I replied.

The images left my head, and, suddenly, I was alone again in my dark world. The girl's hand fell away from mine.

I felt a sharp pain in my left eye, and covered it with my right hand. I had a feeling that the pain was connected to that power I was supposed to have received.

I tilted my head upwards, so that it would seem to Suzaku's commanding officer and his troops that I was looking at them.

"Tell me, what should a Britannian who hates his own country do?" I asked.

I heard metal clicking against metal and guessed that the hand holding the gun was shaking. "Are you some kind of radical or something?" he demanded, his voice trembling.

I gave him a look of contempt. "The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed," I stated.

I removed my hand from my left eye. "I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you: Die!" I shouted.

I didn't know where the words had come from, or why I felt that they would work. I certainly didn't know what had possessed me to use my original name. But I said it, just the same.

I felt something, then. Like a surge of power. It was exhilarating.

I heard the commanding officer laugh. Not derisively, but in a way that made him sound deranged. I heard the rustling of fabric. They were moving! I heard a dozen simultaneous clicks-the safeties on their guns? Then, gunfire, and a series of heavy thumps.

Something wet splashed onto my cheek. I wiped it off with my finger. It was warm. Blood? Had they shot themselves?

I listened for their breathing, but the gunfire in the distance made it too hard to hear.

I had to take the risk. "Are you going to shoot me or not?" I asked aloud.

My gamble paid off. No gunshots rang out.

It had worked! I had told them to die and they had! Was this my power?

Crushing Britannia suddenly seemed a lot less impossible.

_A/N: There's the chapter! Once again, there won't be any character interactions, considering the only characters who have been introduced thus far who have not been shot are Lelouch and Rivalz. Next chapter, Ohgi's resistance group will be showing up, so I may be able to use them. I know the story hasn't broken with canon very much yet, but please be patient. Now that Lelouch has his Geass, I'll be able to get a little more creative and start changing things. If you liked the chapter, or even if you didn't, please leave a review. I really want this fic to turn out well, so I welcome any suggestions. Bye!_


	3. Chapter 3: Opening Moves

_A/N: Yes, I did revise this chapter. I looked at all of your reviews and realized that the part about Lelouch piloting was a little implausible. Thus, rewrite! I don't know when I'll put up the new chapter, but I promise to be a bit more realistic in it._

_Here's the new chapter. Because of the way the action is going, I am adding some other points of view besides Lelouch's. The sections that are not Lelouch's POV will be set off, italicised, and have the speaker clearly identified in the first sentence of the section._

_On a separate note, a lot of reviewers have been asking me to give Lelouch back his sight, his ability to walk, or both. I figured I might as well say this outright: that is not happening anytime soon. I wrote this fic so I could see how a disabled Lelouch would lead his rebellion. If I give him back his sight or his ability to walk, I can't do that. Those of you who pointed out that his blindness was caused by Geass have a point, and I may eventually have him regain his sight. However, that will not happen until later in the story. What happened to his legs, however, was a physical injury and would not be affected by Geass at all. In short, Lelouch is not getting any breaks in this fic._

_Code Geass isn't mine, it belongs to Sunrise. Enjoy!_

Chapter 3: Opening Moves

The next thing to do, of course, was get out of there. Whether I could crush Britannia or not wouldn't matter if I didn't find some way of getting away from the shooting.

I could hear it, in the background, like a drumbeat. Obviously, Clovis had been involved with whatever secrets the green-haired girl was hiding, and had acted to contain the situation. He probably stood to lose a lot if his connection to her was discovered, and had decided that some civilian casualties were worth protecting his public image and status. Putting his own comfort over the lives of the people he ruled over-how typical of him.

This was what infuriated me about Britannia. What gave Clovis the right to judge that his life was more important than the lives of the Japanese in Shinjuku? How could he act as though one life was more important than another, just because he had been born into one family and they another? Was a person's right to live forfeit if they weren't as useful as another? I couldn't accept that-the idea that just because of who our mother was, or the fact that I was disabled, that Nunally and myself had less right to live than other people. And yet, that was what Britannia had decided, wasn't it.

I shook my head, as if to clear it. Now was not the time to get lost in bitterness. I needed to focus.

I placed my hand over the girl's. It was ice-cold.

"What did you want me to do?" I asked aloud.

I heard heavy thumping sounds, and the whirring of machinery. A Knightmare Frame's footsteps, probably a Sutherland.

"Who are you?" I heard the pilot, a woman, ask.

"I'm a Britannian student," I said. "Come over here, and I'll show you my ID."

"Why don't you come over here?" she asked. Obviously, this was not her first battle.

"I…I'm sort of scared to move," I said, deliberately allowing my voice to tremble.

Moments later, I heard the zipping sound of a dropline being lowered. Perfect. She'd fallen for it. Like most Britannian soldiers, she assumed that all noncombatants were spineless, witless cowards who were rendered immobile by even the slightest suggestion of combat.

I didn't know the range of my power, but I didn't want to test it now. I had to get her as close to me as the other soldiers had been, or risk it not working this time. If she found me to be too suspicious, she would kill me. I could hear it in the tone of her voice. Using the power I'd received was my only chance at survival.

Her steps approached. I called up my newfound power.

Looking up, toward the sound of her voice, I said, "Help me get into your Knightmare and give me its key." As an afterthought, I added, "Also, retrieve the terrorist communicator. Bring that to me as well."

"Right away," she said, her tone flat and emotionless. She rattled off the access code for the Sutherland in the same monotone.

I felt her pick me up, and carry me to her Knightmare. She placed me in the pilot's seat and gave me its key. I heard the zip of the dropline lowering as she left the Knightmare to search for the communicator. In a few minutes she returned, and pressed it into my hand. The hatch of the Knightmare slid shut with a hiss. She had left.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_Villeta Nu stood in an empty building of some kind in Shinjuku ghetto, and wondered how she'd gotten there. The last thing she remembered was seeing a Britannian student seated on the ground near the dead soldiers. She looked in that direction, but he was nowhere to be found. Also, her Knightmare Frame was gone. This was going to be fun to explain to Jeremiah and Kewell._

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I had plans for that communicator, but there were other concerns. I got out my own cell phone. The Braille keypad of the phone proved its usefulness once again, and allowed me to dial Rivalz's number.

He picked up immediately. "Lelouch!" he said, sounding exhausted. "I'm so glad…What happened?"

"After I got knocked out of the sidecar by that truck, I ended up on the sidewalk," I lied. "An old friend of mine just happened to be passing by at the time. He got a wheelchair for me. We're going back to his barracks now."

"Barracks?" Rivalz asked.

"He's in the army," I explained. "We haven't seen each other in years, so we were going to catch up a little bit. I'll call you when I need you to pick me up."

"It better not be too late," Rivalz said. "I don't want Nunnally getting angry at me."

"She won't," I assured him. "When I tell her I saw this person again, she'll be in such a good mood she won't even yell at us for gambling."

"…Wow," Rivalz said. "Who is this guy?"

"Just a friend," I said, "although Nunnally would probably like him to be more."

"I didn't know she had it in her," Rivalz said with a laugh. "Have fun, okay? I'll keep my phone on."

"Thanks. Goodbye."

"Bye."

I snapped the phone shut. The best lies always contain some element of truth. And telling her I'd seen Suzaku might distract her from any physical damage I'd sustained in the collision. By the way my cheekbone felt, I was guessing I would have a few bruises. I hated to involve Suzaku in my lie, but it was necessary if I wanted to do what I was about to do. Britannia had killed Suzaku. It was time for me to inflict some damage in return.

It would have been much more convenient to use the map of the area and the Britannian forces in it that I knew was on the Knightmare's screen, but I would have to make due with listening to their communications. I reached upward and pressed a few buttons, grateful for everything Mother had told me about Knightmares. The speakers crackled on. After a few seconds, the army's plan became clear— encircle the ghetto and kill everyone within it. They weren't even focusing specifically on the terrorists. Fools. Though, with Clovis, I would have been the fool had I expected more.

I turned off the Brittanian communications and turned on the terrorist communicator.

"Hello," I said.

"Who is this?" a female voice demanded. I recognized it as the voice of the Knightmare pilot from the truck "How did you get this code?"

"That is unimportant," I answered. "Listen to me, and I will help you win."

"Win?" the terrorist breathed, as if it were a foreign concept. Understandable, given that she was trapped in a massive troop encirclement made up of soldiers of the world's most powerful army. However, battles aren't won by numbers, but by strategy. And Clovis had never once beat me at chess.

"Tell me your location," I said.

"…I'm near the railroad tracks near the edge of the ghetto," she said.

Perfect. Two Sutherlands had just been ordered to sweep that area. They would immediately go after her Knightmare. If I could just set up an ambush…

I switched channels on the communicator.

"Are you the one in charge?" I asked.

"Who is this?" a male voice asked.

This was getting tiresome. I repeated my question.

"I am," the terrorist answered. "But who are you?"

"Who I am does not matter," I said. "What matters is that I can help you win. Do you have anyone besides the female pilot near the railroad tracks?"

"Yes," he said.

"Send that person to the far side of the tracks. Have them take a gun with them, and position themselves somewhere high. Send a communicator with them. I will contact that person with orders."

I listened to the Britannian communications again, and heard what I wanted to hear. My plan was coming together.

I switched back to the woman's channel. To Q-1. If this was chess, I had chosen my queen…at least for this match.

"Two Sutherlands are headed your way," I said. "Engage them briefly, then jump onto the tracks."

"O-okay," Q-1 said.

"Now, jump onto the train," I instructed. The train had been mentioned in the Britannian communications, but I did not intend to allow it to reach its destination.

I switched channels.

"Have you reached your position?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I don't see why I should-"

I cut him off. "Open fire on the two Sutherlands on the railroad tracks. Then join the other terrorists there."

"Open fire?" I could hear the bloodthirst in his voice. "Now that order I can follow."

I switched back to the channel of the one in charge. P-1, I decided. He seemed a bit too indecisive to merit the name of a higher-ranked piece.

"These are tools for your victory," I told him. I knew the train contained Sutherlands. They had been intended to reinforce the army's encirclement of Shinjuku. Now, with the help of the terrorists, I would use them to break it.

I addressed P-1. "I have shown you my power. Will you turn command over to me?"

"S-sure," he answered.

I smiled. Perfect.

"Woman in the Glasgow," I said, praying my earlier guess as to the model of her Knightmare had been right, "how much power do you have left?"

"About fifteen minutes' worth," she answered.

"You should recharge," I said. "You and your squad will be running decoy. I'll contact you again in ten minutes."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_Kallen Kozuki took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. A mysterious voice had just presented them with a train full of supplies, moments after using her and Tamaki to ambush two Sutherlands. His unwillingness to give his name was suspicious, but there was nothing suspect about the help he'd just given them._

"_I will help you win."_

_The words echoed in her mind. Win? Against Britannia? Was that even possible? They were a tiny resistance group, under-equipped and disorganized. They had their pride as Japanese. Unfortunately, they had more of that than they had money, supplies, training, or experience. Heck, they were led by a former teacher who had only accepted the leadership position out of his loyalty to his best friend._

_She sighed, missing her brother. It was for his sake that she fought. For his sake, and for the sake of everyone who had ever lost anything to Britannia. _

_Her resolve was strengthened. If she had a chance to win, she'd take it. Even if it meant following someone whose name she didn't even know._

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

In the meanwhile, I intended to get out of…well, out of wherever I was. I had no idea of my own location, which left me vulnerable. I turned on the Britannian radio and tried to make sense of the orders as I fought with the controls.

This was not going to work. No matter what Mother had taught me about Knightmares, I was still blind. It was a little hard to tell which one was the green button.

I cursed to myself. There had to be some way to do this. I began running through possibilities mentally.

But first, I needed to help the terrorists. If I could use them to take out enough of the forces in Shinjuku that Clovis would be forced to lend them some of his own security troops, my the first condition would be cleared.

I radioed P-1. "Please tell me your locations," I said.

P-1 gave me the locations. I compared what he'd told me with the orders I'd heard over the Britannian radio, and worked out a strategy.

"Q-1, take your squad and head east. N-squad, hold your position. R-squad, I'd like you to head north."

This was going to be a short game.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NinthFeather: Wow, this chapter turned out long. Hope you all like it. I've been promising you all character interactions for a while now, and now that some more characters have been introduced, I can finally deliver.

*resistance group is getting into the Knightmare Frames Lelouch provided*

Tamaki: Wow, look at the size of the guns!

Ohgi: Yeah, these are really new! I don't think they've even been used before!

Kento: The controls are really nice, too.

Inoue: These are way better than Glasgows.

Kallen: Will you stop rubbing it in! The voice said he wanted me to run decoy, so I'm stuck in the Glasgow. You don't have to be so mean about it.

Ohgi: It is weird, though. Kallen's the best pilot we have, so how come she's the only one who doesn't get a new Knightmare Frame.

Lelouch: *listening in on the terrorist communicator* Okay, one little mistake…everyone's a critic.

NinthFeather: Am I the only one who wondered why Kallen didn't get a Sutherland when they watched Stage Two? I mean, yeah, the Glasgow made a good decoy, but acting as a decoy isn't that hard, and they easily could have had Minami or Kento pilot it while Kallen had fun with a new toy. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Please review, and tell me if you did. I'd like to hear your suggestions as well, although, as I mentioned earlier, Lelouch is staying blind for the time being, and he's not going to be able to walk anytime soon, either. Thanks to those of you who already left reviews. I really do appreciate the input. Expect a new chapter on Tuesday. Bye!


	4. Chapter 4: A Different Game

_A/N: Gome ne for the pathetic lack of update speed. I just started college and apparently, at least for me, that causes tremendous cases of writers block. Anyhow, now that I have that sorted, I will be updating slower than I did during summer, but at least I will be updating._

Chapter 4: A Different Game

I smiled to myself. My first condition was seconds from being cleared. Relying on knowledge gained from my monitoring of Britannian radio transmissions, I'd been able to engineer a number of ambushes and keep most of the terrorist units out of danger, although I had lost a few. At any rate, my plan was coming together. Q-1 and her squad had lured most of the Britannian forces to the center of the ghetto. The other teams were already in position.

"Q-1, do you have an area map?" I asked, turning on the radio.

"Yes, but it doesn't have any current landmarks," she replied.

"That's fine," I said. I proceeded to outline my plan for her.

Seconds later, the Britannian radio exploded with sound. I allowed myself a second smile. Q-1 had followed my instructions, sneaking into the subway system and using her Slash-Harken to bring down the roof, collapsing the ground beneath the Britannian units and decimating the forces.

I laughed aloud. "I can do this!" I exclaimed. "I can crush Britannia!"

I felt adrenaline pulsing through my body. I was really doing this. I was taking on Britannia, and I was winning.

"You have three remaining choices," I said, addressing Clovis, though he couldn't hear me. "What will you do?"

The radio messages answered my question moments later. He was reinforcing the perimeter with his own security, just as I had hoped. In fact, he'd given them more than strictly necessary. Clearly, I had frightened him.

"A stupider move than I'd expected," I chuckled.

If we just took down a few more squads, my task would become effortless. I gave the appropriate units directions and waited for the results.

The terrorist radio crackled to life. "Most of my team's been taken down!" one of the terrorists exclaimed. Then, a scream, and silence.

I sighed. "I guess it's to be expected," I said. "This isn't a game, after all."

I radioed someone else. "Your status?" I asked.

"Most of my team's down," the terrorist replied. "This guy's amazing!"

"Guy?" I asked, leaning forward. "How many enemy units are there?"

"Only one," the terrorist answered. "It's some kind of new technology. I've never seen anything like-" His transmission suddenly cut off.

I swore. "Amateurs!" I growled to myself. "It's one unit!"

That was when my proximity beeper went off.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I started shooting. It was the only real solution—I had no idea whether anything was behind me, so running away was impossible. Never mind that I had no idea where the enemy Knightmare was.

I surmised that I hadn't managed to hit him by the fact that I felt something crash into my Knightmare. I swore. There was no way I could fight this guy without seeing him. I couldn't even get away from him long enough to eject safely. Was it going to end like this?

And, suddenly, the pressure from the other Knightmare was gone. I heard my Knightmare creak and groan as the excess weight left it.

My radio turned on. "I'm returning the favor," Q-1 said.

"Thank you," I said. Turning off the radio, I spoke to myself. "I shall have to remember that. The most important element in battle is the human one."

I continued forward, toward my goal. It was time for the second stage of my plan.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I dragged myself to the back of the Knightmare and managed to cling to the dropline tightly enough to lower myself with it.

I heard someone approaching, and looked up. I heard the sound of the gaskets on a helmet releasing, and then a voice asking, "What is a student doing here?"

Clearly he was somewhat slow, or he would have made the connection between me and the Knightmare looming over us.

I activated my ability. "Find me a wheelchair and push me to Prince Clovis's headquarters."

"Yes, of course," he said.

He left, and I sat completely still, listening for footsteps. Thankfully, there were none, until the sound of wheels creaking on their axles announced the soldier's return. He lifted me into the chair and began pushing me.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_Kallen ran into the empty warehouse. It was filled to capacity with Japanese from the ghetto. Some of the members of the resistance, including Ohgi, were trying to get the refugees into some kind of order. Tamaki, meanwhile, was grumbling about the mysterious voice on the radio._

_ Before Kallen could even ask if everyone was all right, she heard the sound of countless safeties being released. She turned around to see a platoon of Britannian soldiers, all of whom had guns aimed directly at the warehouse's Japanese occupants._

_ Kallen cursed, and threw up her hands to shield her face. Not that it would help her any. She was as good as dead._

_ Suddenly, a voice echoed through the air. _

_ "Attention all units. Cease fire immediately. I repeat, cease fire immediately. Save all casualties, both Elevens and Britannians. I, Clovis la Britannia, command you!"_

_ The Brittanian soldiers began muttering to themselves as Kallen breathed a sigh of relief._

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Attention all units," Clovis repeated. "Cease fire immediately. I repeat, cease fire immediately. Save all casualties, both Elevens and Britannians. I, Clovis la Britannia, command you!"

I smiled, but I didn't lower my gun. "Good," I said.

After I'd made it to the Britannian headquarters, I'd used Geass on all of the guards while the soldier pushed me to Clovis's command center. This new power of mine was extremely convenient.

"All right, I've called off the troops," Clovis said. "What now? A friendly game of chess?"

I nearly laughed aloud at that. "Why bother? You never could win against me. Even at the Aries Villa…"

Clovis's voice gained a slight tremor. "Who are you?"

I felt my expression twist into a sneer. "Don't you recognize your own brother?" I asked.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NinthFeather: Well, there's the chapter. Look forward to the next one, as I'll be introducing the other Ashford Academy characters, including Nunnally. Lelouch's change in circumstances will change the relationships there in some ways, while leaving them the same in others. I'm looking forward to what you all think of it!

Clovis: You don't look like Schniezel.

Lelouch: That's because I'm not.

Clovis: But you don't look like Odysseus, either.

Lelouch: I'm not Odysseus.

Clovis: Ah, I've got it! Euphemia!

Lelouch: What the -! I said "brother"! Euphemia is a girl!

Clovis: Wait, you're not a girl?

Lelouch: I didn't think I was _that_ feminine-looking!

Clovis: I suppose you're right; you do look more like a male. Besides, your hair isn't pink.

Lelouch: How observant of you. Were you always this stupid?

NinthFeather: That would be a yes, Lelouch. Everyone, please leave a review if you liked the chapter or if you think there were inaccuracies that need fixed. This is a tricky story so I need all the help I can get. For those of you waiting on pairings, I'll be able to start developing those in the next few chapters. Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5: Brothers & Sisters

_A/N: Yay for updates! Seriously, I've been looking forward to writing this chapter since the fic started. I hope you like it!_

_On a separate note, here is how you can tell I spend way too much time watching Code Geass. I was in Spanish class, and our teacher told us not to think about translating the words we were learning into English, but instead to think about the words as matching up with what they described, like equating the word silla, which means "chair", with a chair, rather than the English word "chair". So, instead of writing down the English translation next to my vocab words, I've been writing notes to myself about what the word means. Two days ago, we learned the verb "apostar", which means "to gamble." I was worried I would forget it, so I wrote down the first thing I associated with gambling: "que hace Lelouch con ajedrez" ("what Lelouch does with chess"). I kid you not._

_Now, let's move on from my scary lack of a life to the story!_

Chapter 5: Brothers & Sisters

"Don't you recognize your own brother?" I asked. I allowed myself to sneer. "You still have your vision, and yet you're blinder than I am."

"L-Lelouch!" Clovis stammered, shock saturating his voice. "We all thought you were dead!"

I chuckled. That had been the point.

"I tried to ask Father to delay the attack on Japan until we could find you, but he refused," Clovis said.

I doubted that. Clovis was entirely too self-absorbed to have cared about any of that. Actually, I would have been surprised if he even knew that we'd been sent to Japan before he was told we had disappeared.

"Do you remember why we were sent to Japan?" I asked, my voice cold.

Clovis made some soft whimpering sounds, too afraid of the gun to answer.

"It was because my mother, the empress Marrianne, was killed," I continued. "They said it was terrorists. But there was no way that terrorists could have gotten into that part of the palace. Someone within the royal court wanted Mother dead. You are going to tell me who."

"I don't know anything, I swear!" Clovis protested, sounding close to tears.

I activated my Geass and turned my head in the direction of his voice.

"Tell me who killed my mother!" I shouted.

"Cornelia or Schneizel would know," Clovis said, his voice suddenly monotone.

Then, within seconds, he was back to whining. "Please don't kill me! I don't know anything, really!"

"I believe you," I said.

I heard Clovis sigh in relief.

"However, while you are innocent of my mother's death, you ordered the death of hundreds of people in Shinjuku," I said flatly. "You can't change the world without spilling blood."

I pulled the trigger.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I hung up with Rivalz. Knowing him, it would be a good fifteen minutes before he arrived. That gave me some time to think.

Suzaku was gone. It would take a miracle for him to survive being shot at that range. Although, he was always fairly lucky…no, I couldn't start thinking that way. False hope would only end up hurting me in the end.

I thought back to the day we'd met. The long trip up the stairs of the shrine had taken everything Nunnally had, but she'd told me she was fine even while I heard her gasping for breath. Then, when we'd arrived at our rooms, she'd told me that they were like the ones we'd had at the Aries Villa. But I could smell mothballs and dust, and I heard the floorboards creak beneath the wheels of my wheelchair. I knew she meant well. She was trying to cheer me up. But all it did was remind me of how helpless I was.

Then, Suzaku had shown up. He'd immediately started insulting Britannia. Before I even thought about it, I came right back with insults against Japan. I managed to push him so far that he actually kicked me, wheelchair and all. Nunnally freaked out, of course, and nearly beat him to a pulp, but I'd been happy.

Looking back on it, he was pretty young then. I'm not quite sure his brain was capable of connecting my blank eyes and wheelchair to my actually being blind and crippled. Still, at the time, it felt like he was just ignoring all of that. I'd insulted his country and his pride, and he'd kicked me. A perfectly normal exchange, but it was just what I needed. I needed a challenge, a reason to fight. Suzaku became that reason.

I sighed. Suzaku was my first real friend, and the only reason Nunnally and I had survived the war. Now he was dead in the middle of a ghetto, and the only one left to remember him didn't even know what he looked like. Whoever said life was fair was clearly either stupid or a liar.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Lelouch, why are we in the ghettos?" Rivalz asked, helping me into the sidecar of his bike.

"My friend's barracks are near here," I explained. "He's an Honorary Britannian." I used the present tense. At times, my own ability to lie unnerved me.

"Really?" Rivalz asked. "And Nunnally's got a thing for him?" He started the bike, and we began moving.

"We spent a summer together when we were younger," I explained. "That's when they met."

"Still, Nunnally's kinda scary, no offense," Rivalz said. "She's the Ice Queen of the middle school division. I can't imagine her…."

I cut him off. "It may be hard to believe, but Nunnally wasn't always as "scary" as she is now. She used to be really sweet and cute."

"What happened?" Rivalz asked.

I turned my head toward his voice and shot him a look. "She ended up taking care of me, for one thing. And she had some pretty big fights with our father."

"Where did all of this come from?" Rivalz asked. "You never talk about your family."

"I suppose I'm feeling nostalgic," I said.

"Still, I can't imagine that a few arguments with your dad would change Nunnally that much," Rivalz said.

"You'd be surprised," I said. "There are some things you just don't say to a six-year-old."

"Six? You mean—"

I cut him off. "We're here, aren't we?"

"How did you…"

"I know the distance between the ghettos and the Academy," I said. "Is it that much of a surprise?"

I heard the sound of footsteps running up to us. I recognized those footsteps. Dang it, we'd been caught.

"What the heck do you two think you're doing?" a familiar voice shrieked. "Do you even know how late it is? Or how many classes you missed? You'd better not have been gambling!"

She broke off mid-tirade. "Oh my gosh, Lelouch, is that a bruise? What happened? Rivalz, why weren't you watching him more carefully?"

I heard a dull thump.

"Geez, you didn't have to hit me that hard!" Rivalz protested.

I smiled in spite of myself. "Sorry we're late, Nunnally."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

She was still fuming as she pushed me into the clubhouse. "I don't believe you two! "Sorry we're late?" Rivalz, you'd better have a danged good explanation."

"It wasn't Rivalz's fault," I said. "I met up with someone and we lost track of time."

"Really?" Nunnally asked. "Who?"

"Suzaku," I said.

I heard her gasp softly, and imagined the blush that was coloring her cheeks.

"What was he doing in the kind of places you two go to?" Nunnally asked.

"He saw me while we were walking around," I said.

We'd reached our rooms. I heard a soft sound as Nunnally sat down.

"Imagine," she said. "After all these years…how is he?"

"He's fine," I said. "He's joined the army; can you believe it?"

"Really?" Nunnally asked. "I bet the rest of the Kururugi family was thrilled about that!"

"He didn't seem to want to talk about that," I said, "but I imagine it wasn't pretty."

"Why wouldn't they-" Rivalz asked.

"He's Japan— an Eleven, idiot," Nunnally snapped. "And his family used to be pretty powerful here until the invasion. They hate Britannia for what it did to them."

"Then why would Suzaku join the army?" Rivalz asked.

"Suzaku's not like the rest of them," Nunnally said, her voice softening. "If he joined the army, then he must've believed that was the right thing to do."

"Lelouch was right!" Rivalz said, surprised. "You do have a thing for him!"

I could hear the blush in her voice. "I do not! Lelouch!"

I held up my hands. "I was just being honest!"

"Rivalz, get out of here!" Nunnally fumed.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Nunnally lifted me into my bed. It always surprised me how strong she was, even though I knew about all the martial arts training she'd had when we were at the Kururugi Shrine.

She was unusually quiet, and I was able to guess why. "I know you'd like to go see Suzaku, but it just isn't possible," I said softly. "The military's sending him overseas, and he won't be back for a while."

I couldn't tell her he was dead. It would break her heart. Ever since Mother's death, she'd become like the older sister, like the mother, really. She'd been responsible for me, and for herself. It had changed her, and taken the warmth that had once defined her. Our experiences during the war hadn't helped. A pretty young girl wasn't safe in a time like that. Without Suzaku, who knows what would have happened. He hadn't just protected her. He'd been her reason for believing in humanity, the one person besides me she trusted. I couldn't tell her that Britannia had taken him as well.

"Good night," she told me, walking out of the room, her footsteps soft. The sadness in her voice broke my heart.

She was why I wanted to destroy Britannia. Her life up until now had been far harder than she deserved, I'd been helpless to do anything about it. If this power could create a world where she could be happy, I would owe the green-haired girl something far more precious to me than my own life. Although, I suppose I owed her that as well.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NinthFeather: Finished! Yay! I don't feel like writing a lot so I'll just give you some character interaction and then go.

Nunnally: What happened to Lelouch?

Rivalz: I told you, I don't know. He was with Sukazu or whoever.

Nunnally: His name is Suzaku and he wouldn't let Lelouch get hurt; what happened?

Rivalz: We might have had a little accident.

Nunnally: What now?

Rivalz: It was the other driver's fault, I swear.

Nunnally: Tell it to your next of kin. It can be part of their inheritance after I KILL YOU for driving recklessly while MY BROTHER was with you!

Rivalz: Now, hold on….

Nunnally: *beats Rivalz to a pulp. She did study under Kyoshiro Todoh, after all*

NinthFeather: All right, I'm done. Bye!


	6. Chapter 6: Meeting

_A/N: No, I wasn't really planning on updating this again. I thought my muse for it was gone. It came back. I can't make any promises about when I'll next update, and I might simply not update. So no nagging me about updates, I will ignore you._

Code Geass: Blind Justice

Chapter 6: Meeting

_The Next Day_

The sound of a foot tapping on the ground filled my ears.

I sighed to myself and cursed Milly's unborn children as I handed the pizza deliveryman the bills she'd given me.

Apparently, there was a new person joining the student council. So of course we had to have a party. Sometimes I wondered if "Madame President" Milly realized that the fact that the Ashfords had fallen out of royal favor meant they had less money now, not more.

I held out my hands, and felt the weight of a stack of pizza boxes settle in them. Turning my chair, I headed back into the clubhouse, letting the doors swing close behind me as I lowered the boxes onto my lap.

The others were already in the main room. I heard Milly first, of course. I've never met anyone louder. Even though she's been like a mother to me and Nunnally since we came to the Academy, I can't help getting a little annoyed by her constant exuberance. Honestly, it's exhausting. At least this time she wasn't making us dress up.

Rivalz was there, too, his voice carrying that extra-special strain that shows up in it every time he's trying to impress Milly. I wish he would just say something to her. He's a good guy, funny and loyal, even if he tends toward being a bit clueless, and I don't think Milly's likely to find anyone better. Also, he's my closest friend at the Academy, and I'd like him to be happy.

I could hear poor Shirley, too. Heaven only knows what the poor girl did in a past life to end up on the same student council as Milly. She's easily flustered, naïve, and the type to follow the rules—all traits that make it easier for Milly to tease her. Still, I can't help liking Shirley, if only because she keeps trying to get Nunnally to act more feminine. It's a doomed effort, of course, but an amusing one.

Nunnally was there, too. As the president of the middle school division, she reports to Milly, and usually gets caught up in Madame President's crazy ideas. She's infuriated by this, but I think it's good for her. She'd never relax if there wasn't someone forcibly making her do so.

I could only hear Nina because I'm used to listening for her voice. If she actually spoke up a little, people would realize how intelligent she is. She's the most interesting person to talk to in the academy, that's for sure, and I've never met such a skilled scientist. I have no idea why she deliberately allows Milly anywhere near her, though. Milly has almost more fun with Nina than she does with Shirley, which is saying something.

There was another voice, probably the new member's, but it sounded oddly familiar.

I rolled into the room, and Milly called to me, "Come over here, Lelouch, and meet the new girl!"

I headed in that direction, extending my hand as I came to a stop. "Lelouch Lamperouge," I said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Kallen Stadtfeld," the girl replied, taking my hand. Her voice was soft, but not so much as Nina's. There was also an edge to it, a slight accent…was that Japanese?

As we shook hands, I paid attention to her grip. It was unusually strong, especially for someone who was joining the Student Council because she was too weak for other clubs, which is what Milly had told us. And the pattern of calluses on her hand…they were familiar, uncomfortably so. The same calluses my mother had; the calluses of a Knightmare pilot.

"You're Nunnally's brother?" Kallen asked, and it clicked. No wonder her voice was familiar—I'd spoken with her less than a day ago. But what on Earth was the female Knightmare pilot from Shinjuku doing in Ashford Academy, and with a name like Stadfeld? Was it an alias, or was she part Japanese?

Suddenly, I remembered that she'd asked a question. "Yes," I said quickly. "You've met her?"

"Just a moment ago," Kallen said. "She seems like a very…forceful person."

I laughed quietly. "She is."

"Uh, you have a black eye," Kallen said.

"Has it gotten worse?" I asked, annoyed. I'd suspected it before, but this confirmed it—Kallen wasn't exactly the sharpest Slash Harken on the Knightmare.

"How'd _you _get a black eye?" Kallen asked.

I gritted my teeth at the incredulity in her voice. I hated how as soon as some people saw my blank eyes and the wheelchair, that became all they saw of me. Nothing else mattered. I was disabled, useless, and certainly no threat.

I wondered what Clovis would say to that.

_Clovis!_ Some part of my mind screamed as the sound of the bullet that killed my brother...no, not the bullet, it was me, I had done it…tore through my mind. Bile rose in my throat.

"Are you all right?" Kallen asked. "You're really pale…"

"I…don't get out much," I stammered, my stomach churning. "I need to go." I headed off in the direction of the bathroom, unconcerned with the fact that I had no idea whether anyone was in my path or not. I was past caring.

I paused in the hallway, taking deep, gasping breaths and clutching my stomach. I couldn't do this now. If I threw up, Nunnally would find out, and ask me why. I wasn't sure I could lie to her.

Not that she'd mourn Clovis's passing. She wouldn't, but she'd expect me to. She was convinced that if she tried hard enough, she could make me innocent again. I tried to play along, as much as I could, gambling and slacking off like a normal high school boy. Seeing me do normal things and being happy made her happy. Even scolding me was a taste of the normality we could never truly have. I couldn't take that from her.

So that was what it came down to. In the end, nothing, not even Japan's independence, was worth destroying the life that she'd built for us. Because I hadn't built it, and it wasn't mine to destroy, I couldn't destroy Britannia if it was part of the cost. I had to remember that.

There were acceptable costs in this game that I was beginning. Clovis had been one of them. Nunnally, though, was the one thing I couldn't sacrifice.

I heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Kallen?" I asked.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kallen asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," I said cooly. "Are you following me?"

"Actually, I need to use the shower," Kallen said.

I let my unspoken question hang in the air.

"…champagne," Kallen said. "My clothes are drenched."

"Shirley tried to stop Milly from opening it," I said. It wasn't a question.

"Does this happen often?" Kallen asked.

"Unfortunately," I said. "I'll go and get some clothes for you to change into."

"Thanks," she said.

I returned with the clothes—some of mine, as Nunnally's were too small— in a few minutes, and knocked softly on the door. "I have the clothes," I said, easing the door open.

"Don't open the door without asking!" Kallen shrieked. "I'm not dressed! You could see—" She broke off.

"See what?" I asked, amused, lifting a hand to my eyes.

Kallen was silent for a few moments, and then she exploded. "You set me up! You knew I was going to say that and you…Gah, Britannian jerk!"

I laughed quietly. "Come now, Miss Stadtfeld, it was only a joke," I said smoothly. I needed this. Playing with the poor girl's mind was by no means the most constructive way I could have dealt with stress, but it did make me feel much better, nonetheless.

"Shut up!" Kallen fumed. "And get out! I don't care if you can't see, I don't want you in here!"

"If that's what you want," I said, rolling out of the bathroom as Kallen mumbled an impressive selection of English and Japanese curse words under her breath.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_ Kallen toweled off her hair and pulled the black tank-top over her head. Shivering from the transition from the hot shower to the cooler air, she put on the red jacket Lelouch had given her and hugged her arms to calm the goosebumps on them._

_ Lelouch. She wasn't sure what to think of him. When she'd seen him, she'd had difficulty in resisting the urge to stare. She hadn't realized that people were born with looks like those. And then, the wheelchair and the blankness in his eyes had registered, and that had ended that train of thought. She was a rebel, trouble followed her like day followed night. If she ever wanted to get involved with anyone, they had to be able to take care of themselves in a fight._

_ And then, to top it all off, he turned out to be a stuck-up, arrogant jerk, just like every other Britannian guy she'd ever met. Except for Rivalz, that is, since she was pretty sure he was too stupid to know what "arrogant" meant._

_ And speaking of Rivalz, if Lelouch hadn't been enough of a disappointment, there was the rest of the student council. Rivalz had clearly sustained some sort of head injury early in life, and she was pretty sure that Milly could be sued for harassment for some of the comments she'd made. Then, there was Shirley, little-miss-freaking-sunshine, whose very existence made Kallen nauseous. Nunnally, at least, might be sane, although she'd been smart enough to duck out when the champagne appeared and Kallen hadn't been able to talk to her._

_ She heard a knock, followed by a soft voice asking, "Are you done, Kallen?"_

_ "Yes, just a moment," Kallen said, schooling her voice into the polite patterns it carried when she was playing the part of "Kallen Stadtfeld."_

_ The door opened to reveal Nunnally, waiting outside with a small smile on her lips._

_ "I'm sorry for my friends," Nunnally said. "They don't know the meaning of 'moderation.'"_

_ "I'd noticed," Kallen said flatly._

_ "Don't hold it against them," Nunnally said. "They're nice people…well, except for Rivalz. He's an idiot and I'm going to kill him."_

_ "Kallen Stadtfeld" would be shocked by such a statement. But it was "Kallen Kouzuki" who ended up in control and she started laughing._

_ "I suppose you think I'm joking," Nunnally said._

_ "No…it's just…you don't look the type, if you know what I mean," Kallen gasped out._

_ Nunnally huffed in annoyance. "Everyone says that."_

_ "So, what did Rivalz do to deserve this?" Kallen asked._

_ "Lelouch got a bruise yesterday while they were out and I know it's because of something that Rivalz did, but neither of them will tell me anything," Nunnally huffed._

_ "You think Rivalz hit him?" Kallen asked._

_ "Rivalz couldn't touch him if he wanted to," Nunnally said dismissively. "Lelouch can defend himself well enough. But Rivalz isn't always such a careful driver and I know that he and Lelouch were out on his motorbike. I bet they crashed or something…Lelouch could've died!"_

_ "Rivalz doesn't seem too smart, but I think he's scared of you," Kallen said. "I'm sure he was careful."_

_ "I like you," Nunnally said at length. "You aren't like the rest of them. You have a backbone."_

_ "…thank you?" Kallen said hesitantly._

_ Kallen had reached a conclusion. Britannians were all freaks._

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I was still in a fairly good mood when I rolled back into the main room after my conversation with Kallen. I knew I'd been unfair to her, but her reactions were just so interesting…I'd apologize later.

That was before I heard the television.

"We're here in Area 11, where we've just found out that the authorities have a lead on the murder of Prince Clovis. Suzaku Kurugi, son of late Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi, has been arrested in connection with the death of the Viceroy…"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_A/N: There you have it. By way of disclaimer, Kallen's opinions of the other characters are hers and not my own, so don't get on my case. Ja ne!_


End file.
